A collection of short stories by Ivan Raley

We had a wonderful service Sunday, we honored our military present and pass, and we presented the Colors of our Nation and paid our allegiance to our flag. I shared the story of Joshua out of his book in chapter four and we discovered the purpose and origin of memorials. We talked about the great price our freedom has cost so very many, how our nation stood in such unity during World War Two, and how all of us who lived in those days, even the children, were touched and became part of the hurt and hope of America.

Families enjoyed the day, our Nation celebrated on Monday, and thousands of people traveled, visited, and remembered. But Monday has gone, where to now? All of us know that there is something wrong with America, the values we once lived by, the ability to share in burdens, come to agreements, and find success, have left us, they are missing and we know it. We want to be fair, we want others to have a right to their beliefs and ways, but there is something so very wrong now, for it seems that any view that questions or is even different from the radical is considered to be terrible, people say all they want is the right to be themselves but we do not know how to share that right with others. A Christian ballplayer shares his faith and the world tells him to be silent, another ball player who has chosen a different life style announces it and the media applauded, for one self determination is good, for the other it is not. Why are the values that once held us together so wrong in the sight of those who do not share them, why is it right for them and not right for us. I guess Jesus was right all along, He said, when we chose Him we would become the outcast.

Where to now; I will continue to love my country, served it in any way that a citizen my age can; yet while loving America I will still seek to be true to my Lord and the values He has put in my heart. I will not hate, I will not be mean, I will just be the best Ivan that I can be. Ivan